Jessie Bates put $150,000 into SpaceX before it went public; the stake could now be worth 10 times that, and he’s cashing out

Bates made the investment through RISE Family Office, with guidance from his adviser, Michael V. Ledo. The opportunity came during SpaceX’s 2022 Series J funding round, when the company was valued at about $127 billion. AFROTECH reported that Bates invested $150,000.

The move was unusual for Bates, who describes himself as a conservative investor. He later said he wished he had invested more after seeing the company's growth. Still, the decision gave him exposure to one of the world's most valuable private technology companies before its stock market debut.

AFROTECH reported on August 21, 2026, that Bates was in the process of exiting the position. The report did not disclose how many shares he received, the terms of his investment or the amount he expects to collect. It also did not confirm that the sale had been completed.

SpaceX's $1.77 trillion IPO lifted the value of Bates' investment

SpaceX priced its IPO at $135 a share on June 11, 2026, raising about $75 billion and valuing the company at roughly $1.77 trillion. Trading on Nasdaq began the following day. The offering became the largest IPO on record.

SpaceX's IPO valuation was nearly 14 times its reported $127 billion valuation in 2022. Bates used a 10-fold return as an example when discussing the opportunity.

A 10x value on an original $150,000 investment would put the stake at approximately $1.5 million, before taxes and fees. That would mean a gain of around $1.35 million over the original amount invested.

The increase in SpaceX's overall valuation cannot be applied directly to Bates' investment to calculate his exact proceeds. The number and class of shares he received, dilution and the terms of his eventual exit could affect the final amount. Bates has not made those details public.

SpaceX is one of several technology investments in Bates' portfolio

Bates has also invested in OpenAI, Anthropic, Databricks, Cart.com and Turo, according to information shared with AFROTECH. His investments extend beyond technology companies. He also has a stake in a self-storage facility in Marble Springs, Texas.

His adviser helped him develop a plan to put his NFL earnings to work rather than relying only on income from his football career. Bates has said the aim is to build assets that can continue supporting him long after he stops playing.

During his rookie season, Bates set up 529 college savings accounts for his younger brother. He told AFROTECH that the funds had since grown to six figures, giving his brother more choices for college.

Jessie Bates is building wealth beyond his NFL career

Bates has also linked his financial plans to his work in the community. His Jessie Bates III Foundation focuses on healthy families, football and finance. A sports camp in his hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana, taught children how to study game film and understand his approach to budgeting.

The foundation has also partnered with Habitat for Humanity to support affordable housing in Atlanta. Bates has spoken about his ambition to extend that work to single mothers in his hometown.

His SpaceX investment is one example of the financial approach he wants other NFL players to consider. Rather than focusing only on salaries, cars and houses, he wants athletes to look at private company investments and long-term wealth creation.